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Daily Digest

PCL Championship Series Delayed by Weather

The Tuesday, Sept. 12, opener of the Pacific Coast League Championship Series between the Memphis Redbirds and El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) has been postponed due to inclement weather. The series will begin at AutoZone Park Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:05 p.m., with the rescheduled game played at 12:05 p.m. on Thursday, before the series shifts to El Paso Friday through Sunday.

Tickets for Tuesday’s game are automatically good for Thursday’s contest. Fans can contact the AutoZone Park box office at 901-721-6000 if they would like to move a ticket from Tuesday’s game to Wednesday instead of using it on Thursday.

For both championship series home games, all fans receive a hot dog/soda voucher, and the first 5,000 get a new-logo Redbirds hat. Field Box, Dugout, and Club Level tickets cost $10, and there is a specialty ticket option for each game that includes an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The Redbirds won the PCL American Conference this weekend, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win a best-of-five series over Colorado Springs, 3-2. With three wins over the Chihuahuas, the Redbirds would capture their first PCL championship since 2009 and third in franchise history (2000).

Located off Summer Avenue between Raleigh Lagrange and Kirby-Whitten roads, the 7,560-square-foot shop was built in 2003 and sits on just under a half-acre, according to the Shelby County Assessor, who appraised it at $361,300 this year.

– Patrick Lantrip

Concourse Ready to Build Out Some of Last Remaining Space

Though it held its official grand opening late last month, Crosstown Concourse continues to lease up and build out some of the last remaining vacant spaces in the 1.5 million-square-foot “vertical urban village” in the former Sears Crosstown building.

Some tenants are still building out their space in and around the concourse, including an adjacent theater and Crosstown Brewing Co., both of which are building new facilities from the ground up.

And Crosstown High, a charter school that will occupy the northeast side of the concourse, filed a $4.1 permit application in recent weeks to begin its interior build-out, with plans to open next August with its first class of 500 freshmen.

– Patrick Lantrip

Tony Allen Reportedly Signs 1-Year Deal With New Orleans

Guard Tony Allen will be in Memphis on opening night this season, but not wearing a Grizzlies uniform. Allen has signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Grizzlies’ opponent in the first game, according to The Vertical.

Allen’s departure from Memphis had been anticipated for some time, even though the six-time All-Defensive selection expressed his desire to remain in Memphis and said he had no intentions of trying to “break the bank.”

The author of “grit and grind,” Allen was dubbed The Grindfather during his time in Memphis, which includes the active seven-year streak of the team making the postseason.

Allen averaged 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 assists last season. For his 13-year career (the first six seasons he played for Boston), Allen has averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals.

– Don Wade

Commission Delays Votes On Finance Ordinances

Shelby County Commissioners delayed votes Monday, Sept. 11, on a set of three resolutions dealing with county finances, citing the need for further discussion and questions.

The first of the three is a supplement to the interlocal agreement on financing the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority to pay the debt on FedExForum. The agreement allows revenue from a 2015 increase in the hotel-motel tax to be used to finance renovations of the Memphis Cook Convention Center as well as the debt on the arena.

Some commissioners said they have questions about the arrangement, and other commissioners voted to delay as retaliation for the city administration’s recent decision to end any new sewer extensions in areas outside Memphis where there are not pre-existing agreements with the city.

“I’m not sure I’m willing to work together on this,” commissioner David Reaves said, specifically citing the city decision on sewer connections.

“This is being held hostage,” countered commissioner Reginald Milton, who said the two issues aren’t connected. “I don’t believe in the hostage game.”

The commission delayed two other resolutions on a future issuance of $120 million in bonds for public works projects and schools construction. The resolutions in effect lay out plans for the use of the money with the commission having final approval of the capital projects at a later date – probably in the next two to three years.

The commission could vote on all three resolutions at its Sept. 25 meeting after committee sessions next week.

The commission also approved the use of $6 million in Center City Revenue Finance Corp. PILOT extension funds to finance the construction of a parking facility as part of the Bakery Development – a set of mixed-use buildings including the old Wonder Bread bakery on Monroe Avenue at South Lauderdale Street in the area between Downtown and the Memphis Medical District.

The commission also approved the use of $2 million in state grant funds for land acquisition and engineering of the Big Creek National Disaster Resilience project in north Shelby County and Millington. The resilience project would create a new flood plain between a levee to the north and U.S. 51 to the south. It covers 1,255 acres. When the area is not under water, there would be recreational amenities on the land, including greenways, paths and ball fields as well as sustainable wildlife areas.

It is one of three resilience projects locally awarded a total of $60 million to change areas that are prone to flooding.

– Bill Dries

Irma Evacuees in Tenn. Can Seek Unemployment Benefits

Hundreds of residents from states impacted by Hurricane Irma escaped the storm by seeking refuge in cities across Tennessee. Many are staying with family or at local hotels and campgrounds and are not able to work.

Out-of-state residents who plan to stay in Tennessee for an extended period because their homes or place of employment suffered damage, can file for unemployment insurance, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports.

While staying in Tennessee, a worker displaced by the hurricane should start the unemployment benefits filing process with the state in which they have permanent employment.

Typically, a state can directly deposit a displaced worker’s benefits into their bank account, making the funds accessible to them while staying in Tennessee.

Because the federal government will most likely declare areas impacted by the hurricane a federal disaster area, unemployment insurance may be available to individuals who typically would not be entitled to benefits. Small-business owners and independent contractors, for example, may be eligible for benefits through a disaster work grant.

States encourage all workers displaced by the hurricane to file for benefits, to eventually determine if they will be eligible for benefit payment.